Decanting skimmer

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for skimming oil or other scum from the surface of water, has floats supporting a sump tank with a weir at its forward end, means for pivoting the sump around a transverse axis to adjust the depth of the weir below the surface of the water and pumping means for withdrawing liquid collected in the sump.

I United States Patent 1191 1111 3,757,953

Sky-Eagle, Jr. 1 Sept. 11, 1973 [541 DECANTING SKIMMER 3,630,376 12/1971 Price 210/242 I 3,237,774 3/1966 Schuback 210/242 Inventor: w'lllamSky-Eagle, 1038 3,670,896 1 1971 Hale, Jr. 210 010. 21 Meadowbfook DR,Corpus Christi 1,591,024 7/1926 Dodge 210 242 Tex. 78412 2,608,3008/1952 Small 210/242 221 Filed: May 26, 1972 Primary Examiner-Sam1h N.Zaharna 1 1 p N05 257,283 Assistant Examiner-T. A. Granger v I AYiEFriey RiEharTI KL SteWn s, Clelle W. Upchurch [52] US. Cl. 210/242, 2l0/D1G. 21 et a]. [51] Int. Cl E0211 15/04 [58] Fleld of Search 210/83,242, DIG. 21 [657] HABSTRAGT [56] References Cited An apparatus forskimming oil or other scum from the UNITED STATES PATENTS surface ofwater, has floats supporting a sump tank with a weir at its forward end,means for pivoting the sump around a transverse axis to adjust the depthof the weir 3 688 506 9/1972' 'Marcoceliiauz, 1:11.; 210/242 belw theSurface the water and PumPing means for 3,615,017 10 1971 Valdespino 210242 Withdrawing liquid collected in the i e 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 11, 1973 FIG.2

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 11,1973

DECANTING SKIMMER This invention relates generally to a device forskimming scum from the surface of a body of water and more particularlyto an apparatus adapted for skimming oil slicks from the surface of abody of water.

' Various types of floating skimming apparatus have been proposedbefore. One apparatus of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,237,774. The disclosed apparatus has a collecting tank suspendedbetween floats on gimbals. A skimming bailer having a substantially flatbottom and an open end skims oil from the surface of water and carriesit to the submerged collecting tank. The suspended tank is free to moveup and down with the water. The apparatus is not provided with any meansfor adjusting its elevation except by changing the ballast in itsfloats.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for decantingscum from the surface of water. Another object of the invention is toprovide an improved apparatus for skimming oil from the surface of waterand for withdrawing the oil from the apparatus. A more specific objectof the invention is to provide an apparatus for skimming oil from thesurface of water which can be accurately adjusted to the optimumskimming depth and maintained at the selected depth as it is moored oranchored at the vortex of stationary spill booms deployed in a Vconfiguration or as it is towed over a body of water.

Other objects will-become apparent from the following description 'withreference to the accompanying drawing wherein: v

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the inven-' tion;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken along theline 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partially broken away,

illustrating an embodiment of the invention inoperation alongside an oilreceiving barge.

The foregoing objects and others are accomplished, generally speaking,by providing an apparatus having a sump tank disposed between a pair offloats and having a weir at its forward end and means for adjusting theelevation of the weir to an optimum skimming depth. The height of theforward wall of the sump is less than the height of its sidewalls andrear wall to provide, a weir over which the oil on the surface of a bodyof water will flow as the apparatus is towed. The skimming apparatus maybe secured at the'vortex of two spill booms towed by their opposite endsto provide means for guiding an oil slick over the weir but. it ispreferably moored or anchored in the path of a slick being moved bywater currents or wind action. Stationary spill booms may be deployed ina V configuration with the anchored or moored skimmer at the vortex. Theapparatus thus combines an oil sump pivotally suspended between a pairof laterally spaced floats or pontoons, a suction head in the sump andcommunicating with pumping means through a control valve to a suitablestorage means such as a barge for the oil. Two pivot points on oppositesides of the sump having their common centerline parallel to the edge ofthe weir permit the weir to adjust and skim the floating oil from thewater. This allows the oil to collect in the sump from 2 where the pump,through the suction head, withdraws the oil. The pump then forces theoil through the discharge line to a storage barge from where the oil maybe taken to the shore.

Referring now to the drawing, the illustrated embodiment of theinvention has laterally spaced pontoons 10 and 11 suitably joinedtogether and maintained in their spaced relationship by longitudinallyspaced structural members or bars 12, 12a, 14 and 14a. These structuralmembers may be welded, bolted or otherwise secured at their ends to thepontoons 10 and 11. A bridging member 13 provides a platform and asupport for a valve 34 and conduits 33 and 35. A plate 9 spans the spacebetween pontoons 10 and 11 and preferably extends from member 14a tomember 14.

Pontoons 10 and 11 may be divided into compartments by bulkheads 15, 16and 17 as shown in pontoon 10 or they may be a single chamberedelongated substantially cylindrical structure as shown in pontoon 1 l.The ends of the pontoons 10 and 11 may have suitably curved ends.Suitably plugged or capped openings 18 may be provided for adding orwithdrawing liquid or other ballast from pontoons 10 and 11 in order toobtain proper submersion of the device.

A rectangularly shaped sump 19 having a bottom 20, side-walls 21 and 22,rear wall 23, front wall 24 and an open top is pivotally disposed bymeans of trunnions 25 and 26 between pontoons 10 and 11. Suitable frames27 and 28 for supporting trunnions 25 and 26 may be provided in pontoons10 and 11. The height of forward wall 24 is less than that of sidewalls21 and 22 and rear wall 23 and terminates atits upper edge in a weir 29.A weir adjusting screw 30 has a handle 31 above bar'14 and is threadablysecured in a bore through a plate 50. Plate 50 is rigidly secured torear wall 23 and projects rearwardly under bar 14. Adjustment of thelength of the shaft of screw 30 below member 14 causes pivoting of sump19 and elevatingor lowering of weir 29. A suction head 32 is connectedat its upper end to a conduit 33 which extends upwardly from the well ofsump tank 19 through structural bar member 13. A control or regulatingvalve 34 is disposed between conduit 33 and a second conduit 35 whichleads to a barge or other suitable storage means for oil pumped fromsump 19. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 forward and rear walls 36 and36a of suction head 32 flare outwardly towards sidewalls 21 and 22 fromthe point where suction head 32 is connected to conduit 33 to provide afrustotriangular shape in cross-section. Walls 37 and 37a join walls 36and 36a together and, as illustrated in FIG. 2,

slope forwardly towards forward wall 24. Walls 36, 36a, 37 and 37a arejoined at their lower edges to a box-like structure 38 having an openbottom through which oil may be pumped from the sump. The open bottom ofcollector 38 is just above bottom wall 20 to permit removal ofsubstantially all liquid from sump 19 through conduits 33 and 35. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, bottom wall 20 slopes upwardly from adjacenttrunnion pins 25 and 26 to forward wall 24 to facilitate towing of theskimming device through a body of water.

Rigging loops 39 are provided at the ends of pontoons l0 and 11 forconvenience in towing or mooring. As illustrated best in FIGS. 1, 2 and6 the skimmer may be secured by means of the loops 39 at the forwardends of pontoons l0 and 11 to suitable spill booms 40 towed by boats asillustrated in FIG. 6.

In operation, the decanting skimmer may be moored or anchored in thepath of a slick being moved by water currents or wind action. Oil orscum on the surface of the water passes over weir 29 into sump 19. Theforward ends of pontoons l and 11 may be secured with rigging to nylonor other fabric spill booms 40. Alternately, boats may be attached tothe opposite ends of the booms. The boats are spaced laterally from eachother to form an outwardly flaring fence. As these booms are towed overa body of water, oil collected therebetween passes over weir 29 intosump 19. The closure plate 9 (FIG. 2) is essential to effect a liquidtight surface structure for containing the liquid or scum being skimmed.

The oil collected in the sump 19 may be pumped by pump 55 continuouslyfrom sump 19 into a barge anchored or towed alongside or the decantingoperation may be stopped when sump 19 is filled with oil and the oilpumped therefrom to a barge or other storage vessel before skimming isresumed. Valve 34 may be adjusted so that oil is pumped from sump 19 atabout the same rate as it is passing over weir 29 to maintain asubstantially constant elevation of weir 29 and constant skimming depthwith respect to the surface of the body of water. This enablesmaintenance of a close adjustment of the depth of weir 29 below theliquid surface and avoids passage of excessive volumes of water intosump 29. In other words, the elevation of weir .29 with respect to thesurface of the liquid body to be skimmed may be adjusted to the desiredpoint by the ballast in pontoons 10 and 11 and screw 30 'to maintain aconstant skimming depth. Then valve 34 may be adjusted so that thevolume of liquid in sump 29 is substantially constant as the skimmingdevice is towed over a body of water. When it is desired to take adeeper or shallower cut, the control valve or the pump speed may beadjusted.

The pontoons or floats may be made of metal, fiberglass reinforcedplastic, or any other suitable material. The structural members used toconnect the pontoons together and to support the regulating valve andpivot adjusting screw may be wood, metal, plastic or the like. The wallsof sump 19 may also be constructed from metal, wood, fiberglassreinforced plastic or the like.

Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose ofillustration it is to be understood that such detail is solely for thatpurpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention exceptas it may be limited by the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for collecting oil from the surface of a body of water,said apparatus comprising:

a. a pair of longitudinal laterally spaced floats with a rear end and aforward end,

b. an oil collecting receptacle pivotally secured be tween said floatsconstructed and arranged for rotational movement between said floatsaround an axis at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said floats,said receptacle comprising an open top, a rearwall, sidewalls, a bottomwall, and a forward wall, said forward wall having a height less thanthe sidewalls and rear wall whereby an inlet is provided into saidreceptacle, said bottom wall being generally horizontal at the normaloperating attitude of the receptacle from said rear wall forwardly tothe point where means pivotally secure the receptacle to the floats andinclined upwardly from said point forwardly thereof until it isconnected to the forward wall,

c. means for preventing flow of oil through the apparatus between thereceptacle and floats,

d. means for removing oil from said receptacle, said means comprising aconduit with a first open end within the receptacle and above the bottomthereof and a second open end, a pump for withdrawing collected oil incommunication with means for receivingthe collected oil from the saidsecond open end, and means between said open ends of the conduit foradjusting flow of oil through the conduit whereby the rate of removal ofoil from said rceptacle may be controlled to thereby adjust the weightof oil within the receptacle which weight causes rotation of saidreceptacle around its pivotally securing means variably positioning theupper edge of said forward wall relative to the surface of said body ofoil and water.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first open end of said conduitis an elongate opening with a long axis parallel to the axis aroundwhich said receptacle rotates.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 having adjustable means at the rear wall ofsaid receptacle for limiting the horizontal movement of said receptaclearound the axis about which it rotates.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with two booms floating onthe surface of said body of water and with a first end of each boomconnected to the forward end of each longitudinal float and the secondends of each boom extending forwardly there-from.

1. Apparatus for collecting oil from the surface of a body of water,said apparatus comprising: a. a pair of longitudinal laterally spacedfloats with a rear end and a forward end, b. an oil collectingreceptacle pivotally secured between said floats constructed andarranged for rotational movement between said floats around an axis atright angles to the longitudinal axis of said floats, said receptaclecomprising an open top, a rear wall, sidewalls, a bottom wall, and aforward wall, said forward wall having a height less than the sidewallsand rear wall whereby an inlet is provided into said receptacle, saidbottom wall being generally horizontal at the normal operating attitudeof the receptacle from said rear wall forwardly to the point where meanspivotally secure the receptacle to the floats and inclined upwardly fromsaid point forwardly thereof until it is connected to the forward wall,c. means for preventing flow of oil through the apparatus between thereceptacle and floats, d. means for removing oil from said receptacle,said means comprising a conduit with a first open end within thereceptacle and above the bottom thereof and a second open end, a pumpfor withdrawing collected oil in communication with means for receivingthe collected oil from the said second open end, and means between saidopen ends of the conduit for adjusting flow of oil through the conduitwhereby the rate of removal of oil from said rceptacle may be controlledto thereby adjust the weight of oil within the receptacle which weightcauses rotation of said receptacle around itS pivotally securing meansvariably positioning the upper edge of said forward wall relative to thesurface of said body of oil and water.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said first open end of said conduit is an elongate opening witha long axis parallel to the axis around which said receptacle rotates.3. The apparatus of claim 1 having adjustable means at the rear wall ofsaid receptacle for limiting the horizontal movement of said receptaclearound the axis about which it rotates.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 incombination with two booms floating on the surface of said body of waterand with a first end of each boom connected to the forward end of eachlongitudinal float and the second ends of each boom extending forwardlythere-from.